Snow Angel
by RavensHeart85
Summary: Hermione and Ginny celebrate Christmas together after the events at Hogwarts in a safe place far away, with their lives at peace at last.


**A/N: I felt the urge to make a one-shot story for Christmas. I hope you all enjoy and have a wonderful holiday.**

The ice was forming on the windows, etching tiny, intricate patterns along the glass as if it were some part of an elaborate and deliberate design of nature. Through the frosted lines, Ginny could see the snow piling up outside. She pressed her nose closer to the glass, which immediately became cold at the contact. She jerked backward suddenly and began rubbing her nose, looking around to make sure no one saw, her cheeks turning slightly red. Hermione watched from a safe distance away, unbeknownst to Ginny, smiling at how adorable the younger witch was. It was like watching a little kid who was just witnessing their first snowfall. Of course Ginny had seen snow before, but it seemed to Hermione that no matter how old Ginny became, she still retained her youthful enthusiasm. Everything Hermione experienced with Ginny felt as though it were something she was experiencing for the first time. It was a quality Hermione adored in the younger girl.

Hermione tried to keep her distance, hiding herself behind a stairwell as she observed the room around her, eyes constantly darting back to the redhead at the window every so often. It was Christmas Eve and Hermione had chosen to whisk Ginny away to a place that was very dear to her, not revealing the location despite Ginny's pleading inquiries all week long. When they arrived, Hermione was glad she had decided to keep her surprise a secret. Ginny's face had lit up in wonder the moment Hermione opened the door in amazement. Gazing around now, Hermione could see exactly why Ginny had been so in awe and remembered having a similar reaction as a child when she first visited the place. The room she was standing in was very large, almost as grand as an event hall built to accommodate large gatherings of people. The entire building was like an enormous cabin, built of large, thick cedar logs piled up to the high ceiling. Scattered throughout the room were several tables for guests to rest at and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate and dozens of over-sized plush chairs to relax in. At the far end of the hall there was one solid stone wall where a great fireplace was encased. The burning fire was so large it seemed to warm the entire room. One large wall divided into dozens of panes of windows supported another side of the building, providing an excellent view of the wilderness outside as the snow continued to fall. It was at these windows where the redhead was now standing, both gloved hands resting on the glass and nose now just only almost touching the glass as she continued to peer out, standing on her tiptoes.

Hermione knew she couldn't leave such a beautiful sight alone any longer and couldn't control herself enough to maintain her distance. She quickly closed the space between them and wrapped her arms around the younger girl, pulling her in close and placing a mug of hot chocolate in her hands.

"You look like you could use some warming up, my dear." Hermione whispered into Ginny's ear. She could feel Ginny's body shiver in her arms. She turned the redhead around to face her and smiled, kissing the still reddened spot on the tip of her nose, causing Ginny to blush again.

"Well now that you're here, I don't think I will have any difficulty staying warm." Ginny replied, blushing further. "What did you say this place is called again?"

"This is Chestnut Ridge Park. My parents took me here once as a child. I've never been back. Even when I was moving around searching for Horocruxes with Harry and Ron I never dared to come here. It's a very special place to me. I was saving it for you, for us. During the bad times, I clung to this place as a safe haven to make it to as my last shred of hope that we would endure and be happy. Anyway, during the summer months, I hear they have hiking trails and camp grounds, but during the winter months, they host all sorts of events for skiing, snowboarding, and sledding. We came here when I was very young, but my parents forgot to bring a sled. So instead of sledding like everyone else, I just slid down the hills on my bum because I didn't want to miss out on all the fun, especially after coming such a long way to get here." Hermione explained, prompting a giggle from Ginny as she began to form a mental image of a wee Hermione sliding down a hill on her bottom.

"You slid down the hill on your bum, huh? That sounds too adorable! But why didn't you find something else to use as a sled...like a large piece of cardboard or something? Surely your parents had that in the...trunk of your...automobile? My dad told me muggles carry all sorts of odd stuff around in those things."

"What?" Hermione began to laugh both at the confused expression on the younger girl's face as well as the notion of sliding down a hill on a piece of cardboard. "Ginny, don't be ridiculous! I can't imagine why anyone, muggle or not would do such a thing."

"Well I can't understand this whole sledding concept or why someone would resort to using their own bum instead of at least trying a piece of cardboard. I mean, what is this sledding thing? You get on this wooden contraption on top of a pointy, snow-covered hill and teeter over the edge until you finally get up the courage to push yourself over and then free-fall down the slope. And this is something that is supposed to be thrilling. Personally, I'd rather just fly my broom through a snowstorm and have the exhilaration of wondering if my frozen fingers can hold their grip. Talk about exciting!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Oh, my reckless little daredevil! Sledding may not be as dangerously appealing and exhilarating as what you described, but I assure you that you will enjoy it. Unless of course you don't like the thought of being huddle up close to me on such a teeny, tiny little sled, my arms wrapped around your body, holding you close, keeping you warm as I grip onto you, pulling you closer to me, shaking in anticipation because I'm just so scared to take that plunge over the edge..." Hermione's words trailed off as her eyes burned into Ginny's and a slow smile spread across her lips.

"Off to sledding we go!" Ginny yelled and grabbed Hermione's hand, pulling her out the door, spilling a bit of the cocoa in her hand before setting it down on the nearest table. The moment they were outside, they both froze, their enthusiasm halted momentarily by the icy chill and blowing snow. Hermione shook her head at Ginny, noticing her jacket was not zipped up all the way. She zipped the front of the jacket up to her chin and made sure Ginny's ears were covered fully by her hat so she wouldn't get sick. One gloved hand lingered on Ginny's cheek as Hermione leaned in and placed the softest of kisses on her lips.

"I hope you have the best day today, Ginny. It feels like I have been waiting for this day forever."

"I will Hermione, because I am with you. There is no place else I would rather be."

Ginny took Hermione's hand as the two walked over to a little shack with a sign advertising sled rentals.

"I bet you could have used this when you were younger, huh?" Ginny asked, smiling.

"I suppose so." Hermione replied. "But that might have taken the fun out of the memory."

"My guess is they received too many complaints of people sliding down on their bums. Probably wore a hole right in the back of their britches. How's your bum feeling these days? Any damage back there I might need to check out?" Ginny reached her hand out and started rubbing Hermione's backside, causing the older witch to blush and look around, embarrassed.

"Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed. "People will see you!"

"You're right. Then they'll want to rub your bum too and we certainly can't have that!" Ginny teased.

Hermione playfully slapped Ginny on the arm and rolled her eyes before approaching the counter and picking up a sled. She intentionally chose the smallest sled she could find. She was rather certain the sled was intended for a child, so she knew it would work perfectly. Ginny snickered at her as she walked back, clearly aware of Hermione's plan.

"Oh my, such a teeny, tiny sled that is! You better be careful that cute little bum of yours doesn't fall off again!" Ginny teased.

"Well if it does, then you can heal my wounds when we get back to the cabin in our hotel room, nurse Ginny." Hermione called over her shoulder as she started to walk toward the most secluded hill.

"Oh I'm a nurse now, am I?" Ginny asked, amusement in her voice. "I think I like the sound of where this is headed." Her words were cut short, however, once they finally reached the large hill furthest away from the lodge. "Speaking of where things are heading, where are we headed, Hermione?" Ginny asked as she peered downward, glimpsing the beginning of a gigantic hill that seemed to stretch across the landscape as far as her eyes could see.

"Do I detect a hint of...apprehension from the brave Ginny Weasley?" Hermione asked, arching an eyebrow.

"No, of course not. I'm just a bit surprised that someone who fears flying chose the largest and steepest hill at this park."

"Well Ginny, as you can see, our feet are rather firmly planted on the ground here. Now if we were taking this sled into the air, it would be entirely different and for that, I would leave things up to you. But this is my area of expertise." Hermione explained.

"Area of expertise?" Ginny mumbled. "The girl slid down a hill on her bum ages ago and suddenly, she's an expert. I hope she researched and studied ways to protect oneself while tumbling to your doom in the library before she brought me here."

"Do you have something you'd like to share, Ms. Weasley?" Hermione asked, overhearing part of Ginny's muffled comment. Ginny could see Hermione had her trademark annoyed look on her face and one hand placed on her hip.

"Nope, nothing to share. I'll just let you be the teacher, since you're the expert, Ms. Granger." Ginny replied.

Hermione positioned the sled on the top of the hill and sat as far back on the end as possible, motioning for Ginny to sit in front of her. Reluctantly, the younger girl obliged, squeezing herself into a space she couldn't help but feel was dangerously cramped. She could feel the sled teeter a bit from their combined weight, confirming her suspicion it was meant for a child. She gripped the reins on the front of the sled for reassurance, knowing they probably wouldn't help her that much though. She felt Hermione's arms wrapping around her waist and instinctively felt more secure.

"There, doesn't this feel good? Are you comfortable, Ginny?" Hermione asked.

"I can't complain, though I feel a more productive positioning would be having you under me somewhere warm right now." Ginny replied, causing Hermione to blush and pause for several seconds as her thoughts were taken away to another enjoyable activity they could be sharing right now instead.

"Are you ready, my dear?" Hermione asked as she pulled her thoughts away and leaned in closer. Ginny could feel Hermione's warm breath on her neck and the moment she was done speaking, the warmth was replaced by another cold chill and Ginny could feel her entire body shiver. Hermione pulled her closer and Ginny closed her eyes, falling into Hermione's warm arms. Suddenly, she felt a rush of cold air and at first was confused as to the reason. She opened one eye, then the other popped open in amazement as blurs of white rushed past her and she realized Hermione had somehow sent them sliding down the slope without Ginny being aware. As they descended, Ginny could feel the sled picking up speed the likes of which rivaled her fastest flying times on her best broom. It was a rush - there was no doubt about it - and Ginny permitted herself to relax a bit and allowed the excitement and adrenaline to take over as they plummeted down the sharp decline of the slope. Just as the sled picked up maximum speed at the steepest point in the hill it became too much of a burden on the small sleigh. Suddenly, Ginny could feel the warmth of Hermione's arms leaving her and it felt as though she were indeed flying on her broom for a moment. She quickly felt her body land to the ground hard and felt pressure on top of her. Ginny focused her vision and saw Hermione's golden brown eyes staring back into her own.

"Well, I guess you are the one under me after all. Still as productive and comfortable as your earlier wish?" Hermione asked, smiling down at Ginny.

"I certainly won't complain." Ginny responded, pulling Hermione down for a deep kiss. "Was this your plan all along, Ms. Granger? Because I have to say, that was one heck of an impressive landing you managed to pull off just now."

"Well actually, no. I fully anticipated making it to the bottom of the hill, but it appears we are now stuck somewhere midway down and our sled finished the journey to the bottom on its own." Hermione replied, glimpsing the small speck in the distance at the end of the hill, knowing the sled was very far away. "It appears we are...stuck."

"So let me get this straight...Hermione Granger, the witch who researches and studies everything down to the finest detail chose the wrong sled that stranded us halfway down a treacherous hill that she also made a point of choosing and yet, did not consider the possibility we might not make it successfully to the bottom and now have few options out of this mess?" Ginny asked, beginning to laugh more and more as she went on. Hermione opened her mouth and closed it again; words unable to come out as she continued to stare down at Ginny, hoping to find an answer to their predicament.

"It's a good thing I'm here with the expert...of riding downhill on her bum..." Ginny mused.

Without another word, Ginny rolled her body on top of Hermione's and pinned her in the snow, grasping her hand in hers and placing a quick kiss on her lips before pulling them both downwards, sliding the rest of the way down the hill together, finally coming to a slow and safe stop at the bottom. Hermione let out a sigh of relief and began playfully slapping Ginny's shoulder again for the second time again that day.

"Ginerva Weasley, how dare you do such a thing! We could have been injured! What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking if I had to be stuck on a hill, stranded in the snow with someone, it would be you. But then I thought of how much better it would be to get you back into the warm cabin and I suddenly didn't want to be stuck anymore, so I made the quickest exit option available at the time." Ginny explained, laughing. She could see Hermione's face soften and sure enough, Hermione began to laugh as well.

"Oh Ginny, what are we going to do now? I'm exhausted and my legs feel frozen. I don't think I can stand to make it over to the lift to take us back up to the top." Hermione remained in the snow, face up, looking into the clear blue sky, watching her breath form from her lips in a white mist. She turned her head to Ginny when she received no response and saw the younger girl kicking her legs in the snow and waving her arms above her head.

"Ginny, what are you doing?" Hermione asked, giggling at the sight.

"Making a snow angel, see? You try now, Hermione."

Hermione didn't move. She watched the indents in the snow forming around Ginny and saw the outline of what appeared to be an angel that was created. She propped one arm up and rested her head in her hand, watching the younger girl for several minutes, a smile forming on her face. Ginny radiated pure beauty when she smiled and Hermione couldn't take her eyes off of her.

Later in the evening when the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon casting beautiful colors across the snow, Hermione and Ginny found themselves warm and cozy back at the lodge sitting by the gigantic fireplace. Hermione's legs had finally warmed up as she sat close to the flames, watching them dance within the stone hearth. It seemed most of the occupants in the building had gone upstairs to their rented rooms and the two were alone.

"Did you still have a good day, my dear, even though we fell in the snow and got stranded?" Hermione asked, turning to Ginny, a bit concerned the incident may have hindered Ginny's fun.

Ginny smiled lovingly back at Hermione. "It was the perfect day. It was perfect because we fell in the snow, because we got stranded. I'd want to be stranded anywhere, if it meant being with you."

Hermione felt her heart warm in a way that had nothing to do with the roaring fire beside her. She felt as though her heart would swell and burst from her chest with love for this beautiful young woman at her side.

"I'm so happy I brought you here, Ginny. I'm so grateful I am able to share such a special place from my childhood with you. There isn't anyone in the world I would want to share it with other than you. I never came back here because I was holding on to this wonderful memory and in dark times, it was something that brought me joy, something I could cherish and cling to. But now, with you here, that memory pales in comparison because I see how much better and brighter the future can be - with you. It now gives me so much more to look forward to and I never quite had that before, not until you came into my life. I want to spend every year, every Christmas together, with you, like how we are now. I'm not saying we have to come here every single year, though it would be nice, but just so long as I am with you, creating even more happier memories, I know that is all I will ever want and need in my life. You are the greatest gift I have, not just today because it is Christmas, but every single day since the day you first walked into my life and entered my heart."

Hermione took Ginny's hand in hers and brought it to her lips, placing a gentle kiss on the back of her hand. She could feel a small tear running down her cheek, unable to contain the overflowing emotion she felt for the younger woman.

"Merry Christmas, Hermione." Ginny said, unable to find the words to match Hermione's.

"Merry Christmas, my love." Hermione replied. "It's getting dark and we should go to bed. The sooner we go to sleep, the sooner I can wake up Christmas morning in your arms."

Hermione took Ginny's hand and began to lead them up the grand stairwell to the rooms on the level above. She suddenly felt resistance as Ginny stopped, causing Hermione's hand to pull toward the younger woman. A sudden thought had just occurred to the redhead.

"You never made a snow angel in the snow." Ginny commented from behind Hermione. "Why didn't you make one?"

"I didn't need to make one. I already have the real deal." Hermione replied, smiling and facing her angel.

_**A/N:**_

_**Merry Christmas,**_

_**For My Angel,**_

_**The Forgotten Lover.**_


End file.
